Various Artists inc. Herbie Hancock

Our review
Customer reviews
Press release

4...according to our Phil on Thu 05 Jun, 2008.

On to some Jewish jazz. I love a bit of Jewish jazz me. Trunk records have released a rare Herbie Hancock LP/CD under the name of Hear O Israel and it's called A Prayer Ceremony In Jazz. Only it's not on Trunk records... It's on Jonny Records for some reason... that reason is a contractual one and we're not entirely sure what's going on there. Apparently there's loads of famous jazz players on this album... no idea who they are though. I do know Herbie Hancock as he had that great tune (Rockit) with the robot in the video back in the early 80's. Before he went all hip hip he was a big jazzer and this is a prayer concert recorded back in 1968. It's a load of Jewish prayers all jazzed up for you swinging jazzers. I do love reviewing important records in the most banal way possible sometimes. It's pretty laid back this album... lots of sax and piano and some loose drums all held together by some Heeb scatting. I love scatting too I do. Actually it's not scatting, it's jewish prayers like I said earlier. I'm not a great jazz connoisseur but this sounds pretty good.

One of Jonny Trunk’s greatest discoveries yet, "Hear, O Israel" has to be one of the rarest and most extraordinary jazz recordings to come out of New York.
Originally privately pressed in 1968 in minute numbers and only for sale by mail order that year, the album was written by 17 year old Jonathon Klein and played by one of the greatest jazz line ups of all time: Herbie Hancock leading the way on piano, Jerome Richardson - flute, tenor and alto sax, Thad Jones - trumpet and flugelhorn, Ron Carter - bass, Jonathan Klein - french horn and baritone and Grady Tate - drums. The recording also features Antonia Lavanne - Soprano, Phyllis Bryn-Julson - Contralto and finally Rabbi David Davis -reader.
Yes, back in 1968, a 17 year old called Jonathan Klein had written an alternative concert for Friday Night Jewish prayers. It had been performed a few times at various Friday night gatherings, and been received well. The decision was made by a Jewish charitable organisation to take this concert a little further and record it properly. An
extraordinary line up was put together (we have no idea how this came about), and the recording was made. It was pressed in very, very limited numbers without a real label, with no catalogue number and was only offered for sale at various prayer gatherings. Without real distribution the LP disappeared from view very fast, and even today there is
little or no reference to it anywhere except on an obscure Herbie Hancock recordings website.
Musically the album is quite superb, and like no other, with its awesome and wholly unique mixture of spiritual New York jazz, Hebrew praises and modal phrases. Led by Herbie on piano, from the moment the album starts its striking originality will hit you, and for the next 40 minutes you may find yourself lost in world of incredible music and subtle prayer that you might not have believed possible. The jazz moves, the voices soar, Hallelujah!
IMPORTANT NOTE: While this has a Trunk Catalogue Number, for
contractual reasons the Trunk Logo and all references to Trunk on this release have been changed to "Jonny". So the label is "Jonny".

TRACKLISTING: (For both CD and LP - but splits at end of track 4 on LP)

1) Blessing Over The
Candles
2) Motovu - Bor’chu
3) Sh’ma
4) Micho Mocho
5) Sanctification
6) May The Words Of My Mouth
7) Kiddush
8) Torah Service- Adoration
9) Final Ames